What happens after a foul in 9-ball?
I · Intermediate · 9-ball and 10-ball · 7 of 8After a standard foul, play passes and the opponent has the cue ball in hand anywhere on the table. Three fouls in a row in the same rack, with the warning given, lose the rack. Only the 9-ball is spotted if it leaves the table; other balls driven off stay down.
How it works
- After a standard foul: play passes, and the incoming player has ball in hand anywhere.
- The 9-ball fouls: scratch, wrong ball first, no rail, no foot on the floor, ball off the table, touched ball, double hit, push shot, balls moving, bad placement, playing out of turn, slow play, rack template.
- Wrong ball first: the first ball hit must be the lowest-numbered ball on the table.
- A ball driven off: only the 9-ball is spotted.
- Three fouls: three in a row in one rack lose the rack.
- The warning: a player on two fouls must be warned at the table.
- Conduct: the referee chooses a fitting penalty.
- Stalemate: the original breaker breaks again.
The glossary has the standard fouls, the ball in hand, the nine-ball, the losing the rack, the scratch and the stalemate.
Tricky cases
The 5-ball jumps off the table. Is it spotted?
No. Only the 9-ball is spotted when driven off.
A player fouls twice, then makes a legal shot, then fouls again. Is the rack lost?
No. The legal shot breaks the sequence.
After a foul, must the cue ball go above the head string?
No. In 9-ball it may go anywhere on the table.
A player misses but makes no foul. Where does the opponent play from?
From where the cue ball came to rest.
Why the rule exists
Ball in hand anywhere makes any foul very costly in a game where a good player can run out from a well-placed cue ball. The three-foul rule stops deliberate fouling as a defence.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9-ball | Ball in hand anywhere | WPA 5.7 |
| Three fouls | Loss of the rack | WPA 5.8 |
| 8-ball | No three-foul rule | WPA 4.10 |
| Snooker | Penalty points and a choice to play on or make the offender play again | WPBSA Snooker 3.10 |
From the rule book
World Pool-Billiard Association, Rules of Play (effective 15 September 2025), 9-Ball 5.5 and 5.7 to 5.9 and Fouls 3.13. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WPA Rules of Play, revised from time to time.